Improvement in gas-generating apparatus



- 2 Sh t-Sh w. c. F. BRUWN. 688

Making 0i! and ater Gas. No. 7,115. Patented Feb. 26, 1850.

AM- FHDTO-LITHQCO-NX. (OSEORNE'S PROCESS) 2 Sh t C BROWN. ees Sheet 2Making Oil and Water Gas.

Patented Feb. 26, 1850.

AM. PHOTO-LITHO.CO.N. (OSBORNE'S PROCESS) i UNITED STATES- PATENTOFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER F. BROWN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-GENERATING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,115, dated February26, 1850.

accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection through the center of the same, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section ofthe retort.

My improved apparatus and mode of producing gas consists in so arranginga retort for producing an illuminating-gas and adapting a furnacethereto as to produce a bril liant illuminating-gas from rosin, combinedwith a due proportion of decomposed water charged with carbon.

This apparatus is constructed as follows: A compound retort is formed,consisting of three parts or cylindrical chambers a b c, placed parallelwith each other, the center one a being about three times the capacityof the others, although I do not confine myself to this exactproportion. The two smaller side chambers are connected at their rearends by a pipe cl, that passes over the main center chamber from one tothe other. In front one of the side chambers opens into the centerchamber. The other is connected with a siphon-pipe e. The front ends ofall these retorts are closed by one cap f and luted in the ordinary way,the cap being held by the ordinary clamp and binding-screw g. At theopposite end the center retort connects with the hydraulic main. At thefront end of the center retort there is a vertical branch is, throughthe top of which the rosin, hereinafter to be named, is conveyed to theretort by means of a siphon-receiver of peculiar construction, intowhich the melted rosin passes from the induction-pipe Z, that descendsnearly to its bottom. This receiver m is'a short truncated cone havingholes near its upper end, from each of which diverging grooves are madedown its outside,

and the melted rosin with which it is filled is discharged by ebullition and diffused into the retort. It is obvious that this apparatuscan be varied in form to produce the same eifec't. This receiver,together with its inductionpipe, is fitted into the upper end of thebranch 70 above named and within the chamber of the retort by grinding,a projecting flange being left on it, which projects around its upperedge over the branch pipe, by which it can be readily removed. I v

This apparatus minutely diffuses the material into the body of theretort and greatly aids in the subsequent action of the heat upon it.This compound retort thus constructed presents a general outline similarto those retorts that are concave on their under side, as clearly shownin the drawings, Fig. 4, which 'form is advantageous to economize heat.It

is set in a horizontal position directly over the fire-grate h in anarch of brick-work 'i, in which the fiues are located. Under thefiregrate there are openings 5 into the ash-pit at each end for thepurpose of admitting air, which can either or both be closed during. theoperation to regulate the process. At the top of the arch are twoopenings t t for fines-one near the rear end of the retort, the otherfarther in front. These both connect in a common exit-pipe n, which isin a square box 0 on the top, which box serves as a heater for thevessel containing the rosin,

from which in a melted state it runs into the induction-pipe. The heatcan be regulated to the rosin-vessel by means of a damper contained inthe box. When turned as shown by red lines w in the drawings, thegreatest heat is imparted to the rosin-vessel; but when it is turned asshown by the dotted lines g it all passes out at the flue. There aredampers p to close the entrance of either flue into the box.

To operate this apparatus, the retort a is filled with coke, pieces ofbrick or limestone, anthracite coal, or other suitable material wellknown to the chemist. The retort b is filled with charcoal, and thatlettered c with scrap-iron, or it may also be filled with carbonaceousmatter. When these are raised to a proper degree of heat by the firebelow on the fire-grate h, the receiver m is filled with melted rosin orany other suitable material of which the gas is to be made-such asanimal or vegetable oils or other fatty substances capable of beinggasifiedwhich is transmitted in the manner before named to the retortbelow, when the process is completed. At the same time water is madeslowly to pass down through the siphon-pipe a into the front end of theretort b, where it is vaporized, passes through said retort, and bymeans of the connecting-pipe d enters retort o, Where the gases areseparated by passing through it,-after which the compoundenters into theretort a at the front end through the opening q near the point Where theoleaginous matter first comes in contact with the charge in said retort,and they are then commingled and pass 01f to the hydraulic main in thegaseous form, and after being submitted to the usual processes enter.the gasometer.

Having thus fully described my improved apparatus and mode ofmanufacturing gas,

what I claim therein as new, and for which I

